StevenWarRan Backstage

Monday, December 31, 2012

May 28, 2001,INQ7

'No ransom, no negotiation'
with kidnappers, says Golez
Posted: 8:23 AM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said there will be “no ransom, no negotiation” with suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels who kidnapped 20 tourists, including three Americans, in Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez articulated the President's position in an interview with GMA 7's morning program "Unang Hirit." But he admitted that the kidnappers have not sent any ransom notes.

Golez said the government is doing "all it can" to bring back the hostages.

Golez also advised to let the Armed Forces of the Philippines "do their thing" and cautioned media against pressing authorities to reveal details of the investigation.

The President also directed the AFP "to assist resorts" in ensuring the safety of their guests.

The abduction came on the heels of another kidnapping by suspected Abu Sayyaf in Pearl Farm in Davao, another high-end resort. At least four hostages were reportedly taken in that incident and one security guard was wounded.

Meanwhile, Ambassador to Malaysia Jose Brilliantes said the government is negotiating with Kuala Lumpur for assistance in securing entry points to Sabah, one of the rebels' escape routes.

Kidnappers unlikely to cross
border into Malaysia: officials
Posted: 8:48 AM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By AFP

PUERTO PRINCESA -- Gunmen holding three Americans and 17 other hostages are believed to be close to the sea border with Malaysia but are unlikely to leave the Philippines, officials said Monday.

Military authorities resumed a land, sea and air search for suspected Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas who raided the western Philippines resort of Dos Palmas off Palawan island early Sunday.

The hostages include US Protestant missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, another American, Guillermo Sobero, and 17 Filipinos.

"We are continuing a large-scale search and rescue operation," military chief of staff General Diomedio Villanueva told AFP here.

"This morning our flights resumed" over the Sulu Sea, military spokesman Brigadier General Edilberto Adan, said. "We have also sent one Marine battalion in Palawan to search the area where the pirate boat was supposed to have docked." Adan added: "They're still in the area. We don't think they will cross the boundary to Malaysia."

Air force spokesman Colonel Horacio Lapinid said a search aircraft overflew the gunmen's suspected boat shortly before nightfall on Sunday. The vessel was about 22 nautical miles north of the Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi island group.

The sparsely populated islands lie near the Malaysian state of Sabah, about 300 kilometers south of the resort and 875 kilometers south of Manila.

However, Lapanid said the plane, which located the suspected boat, was a "passenger" aircraft and was not able to stop the vessel.

Adan said the gunmen spoke the Tausug dialect of the Abu Sayyaf, which is widely used in the small islands in the southwestern Philippines. "But we are not using the word Abu Sayyaf. We call them terrorist kidnappers from the south."

President Gloria Arroyo's national security adviser Roilo Golez reiterated Monday that Manila had learned its lesson from a similar Abu Sayyaf kidnapping fiasco last year and would not be held to ransom.

Abu Sayyaf guerillas abducted more than a dozen mostly foreign hostages from a Malaysian resort in April last year and took them to Jolo island.

Most of them were released after large ransoms were reportedly paid. The rest were rescued in a military offensive launched in September.

Americans advised to avoid
travel to Mindanao, Palawan
Posted: 9:54 AM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

THE UNITED States Embassy today issued a travel advisory for American nationals in the Philippines to avoid all travel to southern and western Mindanao, and exercise "extreme caution" when considering travel to resorts in Mindanao and Palawan.

In a public announcement released Sunday, the US Embassy also advised Americans to be "cautious" in outdoor public areas.

The announcement came as a group of bandits kidnapped a group of tourists on Palawan Sunday. The bandits attacked the Dos Palmas Arrecefi Island Resort at Honda Bay and abducted 20 foreigners, including 3 Americans.

The US Embassy statement read that such incidents made "travel unsafe in certain areas in the Philippines" and called for Americans residing or touring the Philippines "to exercise extreme caution" not only due to the kidnapping incident, but also recent "violence during recent political demonstrations...and bombing incidents."

It noted members of Abu Sayyaf group as possible suspects behind the kidnappings, airing concerns that the bandit group "may take additional actions against US citizens and other foreigners." The Abu Sayyaf instigated a spate of kidnappings last year, including the abduction of an American national, Jeffrey Schilling, who was rescued by government troops in April.

A similar attack was reported on Samal Island, Davao, wherein a group of armed bandits stormed another high-end leisure facility, the Barcelo Pearl Farm Beach Resort, which left three people dead. This group reportedly kidnapped four civilians and used them as human shields in their escape.

Officials meet with resort,
hotel operators in Palawan
Posted: 9:58 AM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

GOVERNMENT officials led by Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon, Interior and Local Governments Secretary Joey Lina and Armed Forces chief of staff Diomedio Villanueva are currently meeting with hotel and restaurant owners and operators in Palawan.

The meeting, which is being held in the Palawan capital of Puerto Princesa, comes amid the abduction of about 20 guests from the plush Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan early Sunday by suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf.

The group is expected to discuss security measures as well as the possible fallout on the tourism sector following the kidnapping, which also involved three American tourists.

The military was quoted in radio reports as saying the kidnappers had fled towards Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi island, which is still part of the Palawan chain of islands, and very near the Malaysian border.

The abductors and their hostages, who were on board a big kumpit (speedboat) with three engines, have yet to be sighted on land, the reports said.

Gov’t offers P1M reward
for information on kidnappers
Posted: 10:03 AM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

THE GOVERNMENT is offering a P1 million reward for any information leading to the "arrest or neutralization" of the armed men who kidnapped 20 tourists and staff at Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan early Sunday.

Spokesman Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan said that even with the reward the military is continuing its pursuit of the kidnappers suspected to be members of the Abu Sayyaf.

Adan said armed forces personnel are trying to locate the kidnappers’ bases because "we don’t want them to reach villages where residents will give them sanctuary."

He also denied previous reports that the speedboat used was recovered. Adan said the abductors had a three-engine boat that could load 40-50 people "so it is unlikely that they would get rid of this."

He said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instructed the military to "go out and finish them (the kidnappers) once and for all."

But Adan stressed that the government’s paramount concern is to "neutralize the kidnappers and to rescue hostages unharmed."

US Christian group calls for
release of 2 missionaries
Posted: 10:09 AM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By AFP

WASHINGTON -- Leaders of a Florida-based Christian missionary group late Sunday appealed for the release of a husband-and-wife team of US missionaries kidnapped by suspected Muslim rebels in the Philippines.

"These people were doing humanitarian work and we call upon the kidnappers to release them," said New Tribes Mission spokesman Scott Ross.

Martin and Gracia Burnham were among 20 people abducted earlier Sunday from the Dos Palmas Island resort off the island of Palawan in the western Philippines. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

Ross said the Burnhams have been members of missions since 1985 and have served in the Philippines since March 1986. The couple have three children: Jeffrey, 14, Melinda, 11, and Zachary, 10, who were not with them at the time of the kidnapping.

A third American, identified as Guillermo Sobero, was also among those kidnapped.

Philippine authorities said the boat carrying the gunmen and captives sailed south, strengthening speculation that the raiders were guerrillas belonging to Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim group from the southern Philippine island of Jolo, responsible for previous kidnappings for ransom.

Ross said that the Christian mission had 150 missionaries serving in the Philippines, half a dozen of whom operate in the Palawan area.

"Our people were obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time and we hope and pray for their speedy release and ask our supporters to pray with us," he said.

Missionaries for the group have been victims of kidnapings in the past, but never in the Philippines, said Ross. The New Tribes Mission is still hoping for the release of three missionaries kidnapped by Colombian guerrillas in 1993, he added.

Tourist security tight as hunt
for kidnappers resumes
Posted: 11:01 AM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By Jason Gutierrez, AFP

PUERTO PRINCESA -- Security was tightened in tourist areas Monday as a huge land, sea and air hunt resumed for gunmen who seized 20 people, including three Americans, from a resort.

The suspected Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrilla raiders were last seen travelling at top speed aboard three boats near the Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi island group close to the Malaysian sea border at nightfall Sunday, the authorities said.

They had attacked the upscale Dos Palmas resort off Palawan at dawn Sunday and escaped with US missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, another American Guillermo Sobero, and 17 Filipinos, including tourists and resort workers.

"We are continuing a large-scale search and rescue operation," Armed Forces chief of staff General Diomedio Villanueva told AFP in this provincial capital, where he is personally directing the manhunt on orders from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Edilberto Adan said the government had "intensified the security of all tourist areas in the Philippines."

A high-ranking military official in the south said the three suspected kidnappers' boats took evasive action when a navy surveillance plane circled above them in the Sulu Sea on Sunday afternoon.

The crew was clad in green, and one of the boats had palm leaves installed as improvised roofing.

"The possibility is that they are moving to Jolo or Tawi-Tawi (island group near the Malaysian border)," said the official, who asked not to be named.

Air force spokesman Horacio Lapinid said nine military helicopters and planes are involved in the search.

The three suspect vessels were seen about 22 nautical miles north of the Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi island group, but the Nomad surveillance plane did not have the capability of stopping them.

It broke off contact and returned to base because it was running out of fuel. "We suspect the abductors and their victims were on board," Lapinid said on local television.

Adan said one marine battalion was also put on shore in southern Palawan "to search the area where the pirate boat was supposed to have docked" before the Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi sighting.

He added: "They're still in the area. We don't think they will cross the boundary to Malaysia." The government earlier appealed to the Malaysian navy for help in blocking the kidnappers' escape routes.

Adan appealed to the families of the captives to avoid discussing the "personal circumstances" of the victims to anyone aside from the proper authorities.

Tourists cancel, defer
travel plans to Palawan
Posted: 11:11 AM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By Erwin Oliva, INQ7.net

TOURISTS on their way to resorts in Palawan have cancelled travel plans in reaction to the abduction of foreign guests in Dos Palmas Arreceffi Island resort at Honda Bay near Puerto Princesa on Sunday morning.

Confirmed guests of Maricaban Bay, a resort located in Coron, Palawan, have either cancelled or deferred their reservations in reaction to the news, according to Cathy Madueno, the resort’s assistant sales manager.

Maricaban Bay resort, however, is located in a separate island far northeast from where foreign and Filipino tourists were kidnapped, Madueno said.

"It would take at least an hour of plane ride and a 12-hour boat ride to Puerto Princesa," she assured.

Meantime, some guests who arrived at the airport at Busuanga Island, north of Palawan, on Sunday expressed concern about the incident and were considering canceling their reservations at various resorts around the island.

A group of tourists from Sweden on their way to Coron Island were evidently uneasy as they skimmed newspapers brought from Metro Manila.

French navy airlifts doctor
from Palawan resort
Posted: 11:29 AM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net with AFP

ARRECIFE Island - A French navy helicopter Monday airlifted a French family from this western Philippines island resort, joining other guests who fled in droves after armed kidnappers seized 20 people, an official said.

A doctor assigned to the French mission in Manila, her husband and their two children early Monday boarded the aircraft sent by a French frigate on a goodwill visit to the Philippines, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon told AFP as he inspected the island.

The hotel guests' identities were not disclosed for security reasons. The French embassy's military attaché and three French soldiers accompanied the family out of Arrecife island, Gordon said.

Suspected Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas attacked the upscale Dos Palmas resort here at dawn Sunday and fled taking with them US missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, another American Guillermo Sobero, and 17 Filipinos, including tourists and resort workers.

"We trust the local authorities here and we are just providing support for our nationals," French defence attache Philippe Groult said on Sunday.

Gordon said only 39 of the 123 guests present during the raid had elected to remain on the resort, which is located on Honda Bay off Palawan. Police and military units landed there on Sunday to secure the guests' cottages.

"It doesn't mean that they have won. I am certain that we can rebound," Gordon said.

"I would certainly like to see this resort teeming with tourists again."

Kidnappers land in Mapun,
Tawi-Tawi: Armed Forces
Posted: 0:01 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By AFP

ZAMBOANGA -- Suspected Muslim guerrillas who abducted 20 people from a western Philippines resort landed in the remote southern island of Mapun in the Tawi-Tawi archipelago on Monday, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col. Danilo Servando said.

"Troops from the 2nd Marine Brigade were dispatched to the area this morning" after the island town's mayor, Abdul Pata, alerted the authorities about the arrival of the suspected kidnappers, Servando told reporters.

Kidnapped Romero not RII
Builders head: report
Posted: 0:31 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

RII Builders chair Regis Romero is out of the country and is not one of the 20 tourists kidnapped by suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels, a statement issued by the construction firm said.

A certain "Regis Romero" appeared on the list of kidnapped guests of the Dos Palmas Arrecife Island Resort that were snatched by armed bandits Sunday morning.

Romero also had a brief stint as publisher of Manila Times.

P1M reward confirmed
for information on abductors
Posted: 0:34 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

ARMED FORCES spokesman Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan confirmed that the government has raised P1 million in reward money "for any information leading to the location, arrest or neutralization" of kidnappers of 20 tourists, including 3 Americans at the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan on Sunday.

Adan made the announcement after meeting with Local Government Secretary Joey Lina and Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon at Puerto Princesa in Palawan.

Adan also cautioned the victims' families not to "blow up the incident" by providing information on their background.

The AFP spokesperson also said two marine battalions have been deployed to Palawan to pursue the abductors who are suspected of being Abu Sayyaf members.

Adan reiterated the government’s 'no ransom, no negotiation' policy with terrorists.

Misuari denies MNLF role
in Palawan kidnapping
Posted: 0:58 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

ARMM Governor Nur Misuari denied the Moro National Liberation Front’s (MNLF) involvement in the kidnapping of 20 tourists in Dos Palmas Arrecife Island resort, Palawan on Sunday.

Misuari told a radio interview that the MNLF "never engages in these kind of activities or face expulsion if they do."

In fact, Misuari said, the MNLF national security command reportedly sighted two speedboats headed towards "an undefined destination" 11 days ago. He said this was before the abductions at the Pearl Farm in Davao and Dos Palmas. "But we can only speculate," Misuari added.

Misuari also said that the MNLF "would just be too happy" to help the government if asked. Misuari said he had told President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that the MNLF "supports her administration."

Earlier, Misuari tried but failed to negotiate for the release of 21 hostages whom the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped in April 2000 off Sipadan island in Malaysia.

Embattled Muslim leader
insists he’s still MNLF head
Posted: 1:21 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

ARMM Gov. Nur Misuari said he is still Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chair despite alleged moves by alleged "conspirators" to oust him.

Misuari told a radio interview that he still enjoys the support 120 members in the central committee.
The organization’s national congress, he said, continues to authorize him as MNLF representative.

The embattled chair issued the statement in response to reports that he has been replaced as MNLF chair because he has not allegedly "brought progress to Mindanao."

MNLF vice chair Hadiz Hassan said that Misuari is no longer the head of the rebel group after meeting with other Muslim leaders in a meeting in Makati on Saturday.

Growing evidence Abu Sayyaf
behind kidnappings: Tiglao
Posted: 1:27 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By AFP

THERE is growing evidence that Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas are behind the abduction of three Americans and 17 Filipinos from an upmarket island resort in the western Philippines, Presidential Spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao today said.

While reiterating the government's stance that it will not pay any ransoms, Tiglao said the government was prepared to negotiate "to try to talk to them to release the hostages."

"The evidence is stronger that the group is a splinter group of the Abu Sayyaf," Tiglao told a news conference.

Abu Sayyaf guerillas abducted more than a dozen mostly foreign hostages from a Malaysian resort in April last year and took them to the southern Philippine island of Jolo.

Most were freed after large ransoms were reportedly paid. The rest were rescued in a military offensive launched in September, but the gunmen still hold one Filipino captive from that raid.

Tiglao said the raiders of the Dos Palmas resort off Palawan island on Sunday were apparently adopting the classic Abu Sayyaf tactic.

This was to "bring their hostages to areas where they have a mass base of support to prevent the military to conduct their rescue operation and open up possibilities for negotiations."

"There are indications they are moving in these areas," he said.

A military spokesman said the suspected kidnappers were seen landing in the remote island town of Mapun in the Tawi-Tawi group near Malaysian Borneo on Monday.

Military spokesmen in Manila said the kidnappers and their captives were aboard three boats when last seen by reconnaissance aircraft near the Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi island group on Sunday afternoon.

Tiglao said the gunmen's boats had top speeds of 40 knots, way beyond the capability of Philippine navy vessels.

Using that type of craft they would have eaten up the wide expanse of Sulu Sea between Palawan and Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi in five hours, Tiglao said.

Tiglao also said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was setting up a special task force "to ensure the security of all the country's resort areas" following the Dos Palmas raid.

Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon is likely to head the body, which would also include senior police and military officials as well as several departments and representatives of resort operators, he added.

"The biggest problem really is the Philippine navy has very few patrol boats. There are plans to increase the number of these patrol boats," he said.

"The president wants the private sector to help secure fast patrol boats."

Palace creates task force
to secure Palawan resorts
Posted: 3:27 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By Lira Dalangin, INQ7.net

MALACANANG today created an inter-agency tasked force to beef up security of the country’ resorts following the hostage-taking incident in Dos Palmas Arreceffi Island Resort in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

In a press briefing, Presidential Rigoberto Tiglao said the task force will be composed of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Department of Transportation and Communication, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, and the elite Anti-Crime Task Force of the AFP.

Resort owners and private groups were also enjoined to reinforce the task force.

Tiglao said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is still consulting with the members of the task force on who should lead it, but mentioned that the name of Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon has been proposed.

At least 20 people, including three Americans, were abducted at dawn yesterday by about 20 heavily armed men believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group.

Last week, armed men stormed the Pearl Farm Resort in Davao City killing three people. Navy patrol guards were rendered helpless by the bandits who had more powerful firearms and faster sea craft.

Abu Sayyaf claims responsibility
for Palawan kidnappings
Posted: 4:35 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By Dart Tiglao, INQ7.net

THE ABU Sayyaf has claimed responsibility for the recent kidnapping of 20 guests and staff of Dos Palmas Resort off the island of Palawan.

Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya Janjalani confirmed in a radio interview that that they were behind the early Sunday raid and were indeed holding the 20 hostages, including three American citizens.

The group was holding half of the hostages in the southern island of Basilan and the other half in nearby Jolo, he said.

"Now that we have three Americans, you should not take us for granted," he said.

He added that the government, which had earlier voiced its suspicion that the bandit group was behind the kidnapping, had belittled their capabilities.

The radio interview also had a statement from one of the American hostages, Martin Burnham.

Burnham whose wife Gracia is also a captive appealed to the government for a safe negotiation, while Abu Sabaya declared their move as an act for the government to take them seriously.

American hostage urges
talks with Abu Sayyaf
Posted: 5:10 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net with AFP

AN AMERICAN held hostage by the bandit group Abu Sayyaf today appealed to the government over local radio to negotiate his release.

Martin Burnham, 41, one of 20 captives seized from the upscale Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan early Sunday, told a radio interview he and his wife, Gracia, were in the custody of the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group.

"We are safe. Our needs are being met. We would like to appeal for a safe negotiation," he said in a telephone interview.

Another hostage, Filipino Raul Recio also said in the interview: "I hope they (the government) will not think of delaying and trying a rescue effort as they (the Abu Sayyaf) are good people."

A spokesman of the Abu Sayyaf, Abu Sabaya, who contacted the radio station, confirmed they were holding 20 guests and staff they had abducted from the resort. Half of the hostages were being held in Basilan while the others were in the Sulu islands, he said.

Three Americans and 17 Filipinos were seized by the Abu Sayyaf from the Dos Palmas resort in a daring raid early Sunday. The Philippine military is currently in pursuit of the abductors, who were reportedly headed towards the island of Cagayan de Tawi-tawi near the Malaysian border.

Gov’t lost P3M in revenues
after kidnappings: DOT
Posted: 5:49 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism (DOT) said the government lost P3 million in terms of revenues from the recent kidnappings at the Pearl Farm in Davao and at the Dos Palmas in Palawan.

This is why the the DOT is looking at Cebu and northern Luzon as potential tourist sites in place of these areas where peace and order has become a problem, a radio report quoted the DOT as saying.

The DOT said it plans to launch an “aggressive” promotional campaign to bring back tourists and to beef up security in beach resorts.

It was reported earlier that tourists at neighboring beach resorts in Coron, Palawan fled after alleged Abu Sayyaf rebels kidnapped 20 tourists, including three Americans at the Dos Palmas on Sunday. Before this, members of the Muslim rebel group took hostage four villagers also. So far, there have been no ransom notes.

Despite its "no ransom, no negotiation" policy, the government promised a P1 million reward for any one who could provide information that would lead to the arrest of the kidnappers.

Abu Sayyaf only after
the money: Palace
Posted: 7:05 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

GOVERNMENT will negotiate for the safe release of 17 Filipinos and 3 Americans hostages, but will maintain a no-ransom stand, Malacañang said after Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility for the abduction in Palawan.

In a radio interview, presidential spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao belied spokesman Abu Sabaya's statement that their purpose was for the government to take them seriously. Tiglao affirmed that the group's reason is plain money, to replenish last year's kidnap spoils.

Tiglao added that the spate of Abu Sayyaf kidnappings last year enabled the group to buy high-powered speedboat and other equipment.

A task force composed of military and government officials will meet at 6 pm this evening to plan their move while military units are currently monitoring suspected Abu Sayyaf lairs, Tiglao also said.

Macapagal orders military
assault on Abu Sayyaf
Posted: 9:18 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By AFP

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered a full-scale miltary assault Monday on the Abu Sayyaf rebel group holding 20 hostages abducted from the Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan, her spokesman said.

"The president has decided to meet force with force so there will be no (negotiations for) ransom," spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said after Ms Macapagal chaired a meeting of top security officials.

Macapagal offers P100M
bounty for Palawan kidnappers
Posted: 9:15 PM (Manila Time) | May 28, 2001 By INQ7.net

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is offering a P100 million bounty for the leaders and members of the notorious Abu Sayyaf rebel group, which had abducted 20 people from a resort in Palawan.

In a televised address, the President also said that she was offering a P5 million reward to anyone who provided information leading to the capture of Abu Sayyaf leaders and one million pesos to anyone who helped nab lower-ranking members of the group.

Ms Macapagal warned the Abu Sayyaf, "You can run but you won't get far" even as she reiterated the “no ransom” policy of the government.

"If you think you can get money out of this, you are wrong. Don't expect any ransom," the President said in Tagalog.

The Abu Sayyaf had kidnapped about 20 guests and staff of the Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan early Sunday. A spokesman of the group Abu Sabaya had confirmed they were holding the hostages in separate sites in Basilan and Sulu.

She reiterated her message public announcement of a bounty, saying, "Surrender to us the brains of this group and you will get a reward."

At the same time, the President said that she had instructed the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to provide additional security to the resorts and other tourist areas in the Philippine coastline.

The Navy and the Coast Guard will also double their patrols, she said.

The Philippines' neighboring countries will help in capturing the Abu Sayyaf bandits, Ms Macapagal said.

"As your president I will do everything to crush these bandits," she vowed.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Three Snaps Up in a Circle, Miss Theng!

Psssst...little boy...you want some Nigerian yellow cake?

September 18, 2001, The Philippine Star, Sayyaf received aid from Bin Laden, by Christina Mendez,

The Abu Sayyaf leader arrested by authorities on Saturday admitted yesterday that Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden extended financial support in the past to the Islamic fundamentalist group.

Jimmy Theng made the admission as Armed Forces chief Gen. Diomedio Villanueva disclosed the military has stepped up its tactical operations in Basilan and Sulu after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Villanueva said he has ordered deputy chief of staff Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu, chief of the AFP's Southern Command, to ensure the weakening of the Abu Sayyaf to boost the country's campaign against terrorism.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan is preparing to evacuate some 600 Filipinos in the event the US launches a military offensive against Bin Laden's camps in Afghanistan.

Authorities said Theng, 31, is the "political ideologue" of the Abu Sayyaf bandits based in Tuburan, Basilan and is a member of the bandits' core group now in the Philippine Army's order of battle.

Pardon the interruption, but is the Army's "order of battle" anything like a thick intelligence dossier? This sounds more like a roster of rooster hen-names established after a season of cock-fighting (which in the Philippines may not be far from the truth. They even train horses to fight one another)

According to Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jose Mabanta, Theng admitted the Abu Sayyaf extremists were receiving financial support from Bin Laden who is the prime suspect in the terror attacks on Washington D.C. and New York on Sept. 11.

The military also uncovered a plot to attack Barangay Sta. Clara in Lamitan but Mabanta refused to divulge details about the plot nor significant information on the captured bandit leader.

Theng, who claims to be an Islamic religious teacher, told his interrogators the bandits subscribe to sowing terror in Mindanao so that people would submit to Islamic fundamentalist beliefs.

The Abu Sayyaf also uses some mosques to persuade other Muslims to help them in terrorizing residents of Basilan, especially the predominantly Christian town of Lamitan, so that they would have control of the island, Theng said.

Mabanta said the bandit leader claimed having been trained in Marawi City in 1986.

"Significantly, he revealed the (Abu Sayyaf) use mosques to propagate their belief in sowing terror in Basilan and for the total control of Lamitan and throughout Basilan," Mabanta said.

The Southcom spokesman said Theng has also admitted taking part in the raid on Lamitan town on June 2, where the bandits escaped a military cordon.

Theng was arrested at around 6:30 p.m. in Barangay Caddatan in Tuburan, only hours after two of his cohorts, identified as Daud Indaling Korong and Itang Awal Isnual, were arrested in Barangay Colonia in Lamitan.

Korong and Isnual were arrested by a joint team of police and the Army 18th Infantry Battalion, under Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero, at around 9:30 a.m. of Saturday.

The authorities said Korong, 18, and Isnual, 47, both admitted as being among those who kidnapped several people in Bolobo, Basilan, and Korong was among those who beheaded 10 of those who were abducted. He was later positively identified by the kidnapping victims.

Isnual, on the other hand, is believed to be the Abu Sayyafs intelligence and communications officer, who received training from the civic radio group REACT which was later used as a front by the bandit group.

The three captives are believed to be linked with Bin Laden through his brother-in-law of Mohammad Jafal Khalifa, who manages the non-government organization International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO).

The IIRO was organized in the country in 1991 as the "social arm" of the Muslim World League, which is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The IIRO is supposed to undertake relief and financial assistance to Filipino Muslims in terms of scholarships, construction of mosques, hospitals and orphanages.

But authorities suspect that the organization has also been involved in sending Filipino rebels, along with fundamentalist rebels from Malaysia and Indonesia, to Bin Laden's terrorist training camps in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Islamabad is preparing to evacuate some 600 Filipinos in the event the US launches a military offensive against Bin Laden's camps in Afghanistan.

Vice Consul Jose Cabrera said all diplomatic posts in the Middle East have been placed on alert and are closely monitoring the situation of the Filipino communities there.

"It's a bit tense but calm," Cabrera said. "All diplomatic missions are monitoring the situation. Preparations are being undertaken. The situation on the ground will warrant immediate evacuation."

There are at least 200 Filipinos in Pakistan, comprised of students and contract workers employed as domestic helpers, hotel staff, medical and construction workers.

Other Filipinos are employed by various United Nations agencies or married to Pakistanis.

Cabrera said the embassy has strongly cautioned all Filipinos near the Shawag border between Afghanistan and Pakistan to leave the area at once in anticipation of the US attack.

Pakistan, one of only three countries that recognize the Taliban government of Afghanistan, has pledged support for the imminent US strike against the terrorist camps and has warned Afghanistan to surrender Bin Laden or face various sanctions.

At the same time, the Foreign Office said it has no record of Filipinos living or working in Afghanistan which has threatened to wage war on any of its neighbors who help the US.

Foreign Undersecretary Franklin Ebdalin said contingency plans are already in place and can be activated at a moments notice but he stressed that Filipinos should be wary of "danger areas" in the Middle East.

He identified the danger areas as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Israel and Iran.

"We are wary because of the presence of fundamentalist groups that might fight their governments for pledging support for the US," Ebdalin said.

"Can you hear me now?"

In a dozen years---no, make that in over twenty-two years---not a single signal slip up on the part of the Abu Sayyaf made it into the news. Abu Sabaya was provided with the gratuitous story detail of a transponder secretly sewn into the lining of backpack given him as gift by a so-called friend. That's where he carried his cellphone I suppose. This allowed, or facilitated, George W. Bush to watch in real time as our Green Berets and Navy SEALS nabbed Sabaya at sea, riddled him with bullets, and watched him slide overboard into an anonymous DNA death. I'm surprised George Bush was willing to take time away from his live handy-cam feed mounted in the Rape Room at the Texas State Prison. You just can't get enough of that good stuff.

God Bless the NRO and the NSA. They make their master's proud---it's just not the Constitution of the United States of America that they serve.

December 30, 2001, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Satellites that kill, by Art Villasanta,

AMERICA'S most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, avoids using wireless telephones. Some Western analysts say it's because he fears American spies would be listening with their sophisticated devices. Others believe it's because he remembers all too well the fate of another Muslim leader who paid with his life for talking too long on a wireless telephone.

Just five years ago, on the night of April 21, 1996, Dzhokhar Dudayev, president of the rebellious Muslim republic of Chechnya and the most wanted man in Russia, stepped out of a small house in a forest some 20 kilometers from the Chechen capital of Grozny to make a phone call. He switched on his Inmarsat (International Maritime Satellite) telephone and called up Konstantin Borovoy, a liberal deputy in the Russian Parliament who served as his Moscow liaison. According to Borovoy, he and Dudayev were discussing peace terms being offered by Russian President Boris Yeltsin to end the costly war. The two-year war for independence being waged by the predominantly Muslim republic of Chechnya began in December 1994 and was going badly for the Russian army.

Dudayev, a former general in the Soviet air force, had thwarted three previous attempts at detection by not talking too long on his satellite phone. Russian signals intelligence (Sigint) aircraft such as the electronics-packed Ilyushin IL-76 had tried in vain to lock onto Dudayev's phone signal since January.

This time, however, Dudayev and Borovoy had to talk at length because the peace offer was of vital importance. The Russians had no Sigint aircraft in the air that evening. But one low flying Suhkoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft was in the vicinity. As the Su-25 circled, its pilot received the coordinates of Dudayev's location. The Russian pilot quickly "painted" the target coordinates with his laser designator and fired his supersonic air-to-ground missiles. One missile hurtled toward Dudayev who was still talking on his satellite phone. The missile's 110-kilogram warhead exploded a short distance from Dudayev, who died minutes later.

Dudayev's assassination, which the Chechens blame on Russia's secret service, would not have been possible without the crucial information pinpointing Dudayev's location. Evidence has since suggested that the source of that information may have been an American Sigint satellite.

The Americans strongly deny any role in Dudayev's death. Some Western military analysts, however, argue that the Russians didn't have the equipment to mount such a sophisticated attack. They suggest that a Western satellite, most probably American, supplied the vital information that led to Dudayev's demise.

The "likely suspects" in the Dudayev episode are the "Chalet" and "Magnum" Sigint satellites operated by America's super-secret National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). This agency, whose existence was only officially acknowledged in the 1990s, operates all the satellites used by different agencies for taking pictures and listening to transmissions. Twelve Chalet and Magnum satellites are believed to be operational, and may have been secretly reinforced by others since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.

Resembling huge umbrellas with their stalks pointed earthward, the Chalet (now known as Vortex) and Magnum satellites are basically passive radio receivers that intercept signals from cellular phones, satellite phones, military "walkie-talkies" and other wireless communication devices. From their orbital stations 22,000 miles in space, they "listen" to the electromagnetic signals of millions of low-powered radio and mobile phones every day and relay this data to supercomputers at the US National Security Agency (NSA) for analysis.

The four or six Magnum satellites, whose umbrella-shaped receiving antennas are 100 meters in diameter, are equipped with "feed horn" arrays that allow them to intercept signals from widely different locations. During the 1991 Gulf War, one of the Magnums had a feed horn intercepting Iraqi communications in Kuwait, Baghdad and nearby locations at the same time. Under favorable conditions, these satellites can apparently keep track of individual mobile phone conversations, as well.

The Chalet satellites, of which four are said to be in operation, are older versions of the Magnums and are supported by a much older Sigint fleet of six satellites that goes by the name of Rhyolite.

The alleged use of either a Chalet or Magnum satellite in the Dudayev episode illustrates the extreme vulnerability of electronic communications to clever spies such as the NSA.

The week after Sept. 11, an unknown number of America's Sigint satellites were reported to have been "re-tasked" to hunt down Bin Laden. Previously, many of these satellites kept watch over America's strategic competitors such as Russia and China and avowed enemies such as Iraq. The re-tasking of some Sigint satellites probably involved adjusting the satellites' orbits so that the satellites' feed horns point at Afghanistan.

It is apparent that the US military hopes their Sigint satellites will intercept phone conversations of Bin Laden or his network, a task made easier by the small size and minimal communications in Afghanistan. Any electronic emitter not proven to be from a friendly source can be assumed to be hostile and thus a target for tracking and analysis.

Bin Laden and al-Qaida cannot maintain radio silence indefinitely. This was proven when Bin Laden called his mother on his satellite phone, a call that was probably intercepted by a Sigint satellite and later revealed to the media.

The disclosure of this taped intercept apparently made him more cautious about making phone calls and caused him to rely more on human couriers to transmit orders to his widely dispersed terrorists.

Some satellite experts, however, contend that the incredible capabilities of America's Sigint satellites may not be as effective when used against small, dispersed bands of terrorists who make it a point to maintain radio silence. The satellites work best against large organized units such as an enemy army that cannot function effectively without electronic communications.

An enemy with sparse communications, or who practices good signals security, is less vulnerable to signals espionage from space. Locating an electronically silent Bin Laden via Sigint thus becomes dependent on lucky intercepts.

Complementing America's Sigint satellites in Afghanistan are airborne Sigint systems that include the U-2R and TR-1 spy planes and RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft that carry passive electronic sensors for monitoring electronic emitters such as satellite phones.

The Sigint satellites are part of an overall intelligence gathering campaign that also embraces imaging intelligence (Imint) satellites whose cameras can identify surface objects less than three inches in size from 300 miles up while traveling at more than 20,000 miles per hour. The newest "Keyhole" Imint satellites also have heat-sensing infrared capabilities that allow them to see targets on the ground at night.

A new generation of in-orbit radar imagery satellites, called "Lacrosse" or "Vega," also make it possible to obtain high-resolution images of the ground even through heavy cloud cover.
Electronic intelligence (Elint) satellites are also included in this intelligence mix. A primary Elint program is "White Cloud," a satellite constellation that is the US Navy's principal means of over-the-horizon reconnaissance and target designation for its weapons systems that include surface-to-surface missiles.

It is estimated that the United States has over 200 military satellites in orbit with four to five being added to this number every year. These satellites cost the Americans over $100 billion, according to some estimates.

Sigint, Imint and Elint satellites provide the long-distance ears and eyes of a combined effort to ferret out Bin Laden and al-Qaida in Afghanistan's inhospitable terrain. They give the United States and its allies a significant technological edge, but will not produce victory in Afghanistan.

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Art Villasanta is a major contributor to a weekly on-line magazine about Asian satellites. He has created a website for Filipino veterans of the Korean War.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Was It Because He "Just Wouldn't Listen"

November 29, 2000, ABS-CBN, Basilan residents confirm military torture of Midjal,

ZAMBOANGA (ABS-CBN) - Basilan residents have refuted military claims renegade Abu Sayyaf leader Abdul Midjal died in a clash in Basilan, saying the former bandit leader died Saturday afternoon after being tortured by government soldiers.

A source who refused to be identified, disclosed witnesses from Sumisip revealed elements of the Philippine Army's 32nd Infantry Battalion accidentally found Midjal in Sitio Da-ingan, Barangay Ticus.

Witnesses further narrated the military demanded to see Midjal's firearm to which the former bandit-leader-turned-vigilante-leader willingly agreed.

They said the soldiers then stripped Midjal of his jacket, shoes and P7,000 in cash then later cut-off his ears before he was killed.

The same source said residents of the village retaliated upon seeing the brutal killing of Midjal, who was once a civilian volunteer in the area.

Local residents reportedly cited the government troops for the brutal slaying saying civilian harassments in their area are being perpetrated by the military.

Reports from the province state sporadic firefights between the military and civilians continue resulting to the wounding of an undetermined number of civilians.

The military confirmed Monday, Midjal was killed by patrolling military men in Sumisip town, Basilan province, on Sunday.

The military confirmed a clash between the bandit group ensued which resulted to the killing of Midjal, but refused to release details of the clash.

Early this year, Midjal's group seized Abu Sayyaf leader Khadafy Janjalani's mother, his pregnant wife, their one-year-old child, and eight other clan members in an attempt to force the Abu Sayyaf to free hostages, including two of Midjal's daughters.

Midjal threatened to kill Janjalani's relatives if the rebels harmed any of their captives. The rebels beheaded two male teachers, but Midjal did not carry out his threat.

Authorities later persuaded Midjal to free his captives in exchange for the release of some of the hostages.

Midjal broke away from the Abu Sayyaf and formed a vigilante group to fight his former comrades after disagreeing with their activities, including kidnappings and attacks on Christian communities.

Is "Patta Arola" Like "Pinch My Nipples?"

November 6, 2000, The Philippine Star, 5 soldiers wounded in Lanao Sur attack, by Roel Pareño,

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has not let up in its attacks, wounding five soldiers, including a junior officer, in a gunbattle in Butig, Lanao del Sur last Saturday, the military said.

Col. Hilario Atendido, spokesman of the Armed Forces' Southern Command, said elements of the 29th Infantry Battalion were patrolling Camp Ali Ben Talib, a former MILF stronghold in Butig town, when they were attacked by the separatist guerrillas.

The wounded soldiers were identified as 2Lt. Reynaldo Romel, Cpl. Guillermo Gilane and Privates Eduardo Maranon, Artemio Flores and Christopher Abrego. Atendido said additional troops rushed to the scene and reinforced the beleaguered 29th IB elements, and engaged the rebels in a half-hour gunbattle.

Atendido said the MILF group suffered casualties. Earlier that day, elements of the 28th Infantry Battalion waylaid 10 MILF guerrillas in Malabang, Lanao del Sur, killing a rebel in a 20-minute firefight. Meanwhile, the military said 10 MILF fighters surrendered in Lumbayanague, Lanao del Sur, apparently after they could no longer bear the mounting military offensive.

A week ago, 10 rebels were killed and many others were wounded in a clash with Army Scout Rangers in the same province, Atendido said. In Sulu, mounting offensives by the military also prompted at least 11 Abu Sayyaf rebels to give themselves up the other day, the military said. Among the surrenderors were followers of Abu Sayyaf commander Patta Arola, who yielded to the 4th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Tubig-samin, Maimbung town before noon last Saturday. This, as soldiers seized two Tamaraw jeepneys, reportedly belonging to Abu Sayyaf leader Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot, in Talipao and Indanan towns, Atendido said.

Political Scandals Not a Monopoly of Estrada -- Enrile

November 8, 2000, The Philippine Star, Political scandals not a monopoly of Estrada -- Enrile, by Perseus Echeminada,

Though past presidents of the Republic had also been embroiled in controversy, not one of them knew the trouble President Estrada has seen, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile said yesterday. Enrile said former Presidents Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos and even the late father of Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had their own share of scandals in varying degrees during their incumbencies, but no one called for their resignation.

At a press conference, Enrile said Aquino, one of the prime movers of the resign Estrada movement, had her Kamag-anak Inc. controversy where her relatives were accused of getting favors from government. "I exposed in the Senate that relatives of former President Aquino amassed at least 39 companies during her incumbency," he said. Enrile said Ramos was hailed to the hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee which was looking into the anomalous PEA-Amari deal exposed by former Sen. Ernesto Maceda.

On the other hand, Enrile said the Harry Stonehill payola and other scandals broke out during the term of the late President Diosdado Macapagal, father of Arroyo who is also calling for Mr. Estrada's resignation. "As a young lawyer I participated in the investigation of the Stonehill scandal," he said. Enrile said former President Manuel Roxas, grandfather of resigned Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas II, was also dragged into controversy over the Araneta real estate case, which now comprises the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City.

The critics of Elpidio Quirino, the senator said, likewise did not spare him when they hit the former president's golden bed and paraded his chamberpot in public. And during the time of President Manuel Quezon, the construction of Highway 54, the present EDSA, was marred by the issue regarding the Madrigal estate in Mandaluyong through which the highway would run.

Ramon Magsaysay, known as the champion of the masses, was also implicated in some dealings of a relative while Carlos Garcia was likewise linked to scandal involving alleged corruption of his executive secretary,Enrile said. Enrile however noted that despite the scandals, the previous presidents were not subjected to pressures to resign from their post, unlike the current travails of Mr. Estrada. He said the critics of the President should not rock the boat using the jueteng scandal and just let the constitutional process run its course.

The senator also belittled the call of various business groups demanding the resignation of Mr. Estrada, saying they do not represent the majority of the Filipino people. "Business groups do not elect a president," Enrile said. But Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. disputed this, saying a business group like the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has a nationwide network and could influence the masses. –Perseus Echeminada

Reconciliation Not Resignation -- Estrada

November 9, 2000, The Philippine Star, Reconciliation not resignation -- Estrada,

President Estrada said yesterday his offer of reconciliation to the political opposition and the anti-Estrada groups and not his resignation is the only way out of the political and economic crises gripping the country.

After signing an executive order creating the coconut levy trust fund at Malacañang yesterday, the Chief Executive told reporters "some forces in our society" are busy discrediting him to the detriment of the masses.

"Nevertheless, I have offered to them the hand of reconciliation," he said. "I offered to them a way out, which is to work together. I renew these offers to them for the good of our nation." Mr. Estrada said he is confident he would be vindicated after the Senate terminates the impeachment trial with his acquittal if the proceedings reach that point.

"I will prove wrong those who have put their personal and political interests above the interests of our country in demanding my ouster and fomenting political and economic instability," he said. The President said the administration's efforts to improve the country's economy are being sidetracked by "some sectors" so they could immediately seize power.

On the other hand, the President is wooing leaders of the Catholic Church to join the "National Day of Prayer and Fasting" on Saturday, Malacañang said yesterday. Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora and Presidential Adviser on Flagship Projects Secretary Robert Aventajado Jr. told reporters yesterday the prayer rally is intended for the unity of Filipinos and not to boost the popularity of Mr. Estrada.

Meanwhile, Bro. Mike Velarde, spiritual leader of the Catholic fellowship El Shaddai, told reporters yesterday he has "no comment" to a statement of Robert de Castro, secretary general of the militant church organization Promotion of Church People's Response, that he is a "false prophet."

Earlier, De Castro called Velarde "a religio-political opportunist" who is misleading El Shaddai members into "supporting the un-Christian and satanic policies and programs" of Mr. Estrada. "No amount of miracle will prevent the eventual downfall of (President) Estrada," he said. "Not even the fake miraculous prayer and rituals of the pseudo and false prophet Mike Velarde. (He) is a divisive tool of Estrada against the Roman Catholic Church and the public."

De Castro described Saturday's prayer rally as a "cheap and desperate Marcos-style political gimmick of Estrada" to project that the people still support him. On another front, Laguna Gov. Joey Lina, president of the League of Governors, will lead 25 provincial governors and 13 Metro Manila mayors in calling for President Estrada's resignation during the "Welga ng Mamamayan" tomorrow.

Pastor "Boy" Saycon, secretary general of the Council on Philippine Affairs, told reporters yesterday the 25 governors and 13 mayors will be joined in the rally by leaders of labor federations and affiliated groups from all over the country.

"We expect about half a million workers (public and private), students, and other groups to join the rally, which will be a prelude to a bigger rally to oust (President) Estrada," he said. Saycon said the second rally will involve the stoppage of air, sea, and land transportation nationwide, and that seaports and airports will be closed to passengers and cargoes, with only perishable goods to be allowed in.

Saycon said major land transport groups have already signaled their intention to join the planned protest to stop work and paralyze transportation operations in the country. At the Archdiocese of Manila, the Presbyteral Council headed by Jaime Cardinal Sin urged the media in a statement yesterday not to allow themselves to be used to hide the truth or distract people from the truth.

"The issue is morality in public office," read the statement. "The issue is the immorality of the highest political leader of the nation. Let us stay focused not so much on the opinions and statement we hear but more on what the Lord wants us to do." Sin said that in the Old Testament and the Catholic Church's history, "the prophets who call on people to change will be presented as the criminals and the guilty, the innocent ones."

Since the time the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Manila issued the call to the faithful, entitled "On the Way of Truth," so many events have transpired in the country, he added. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 labor unions are preparing for a nationwide walkout and work stoppage on Nov. 14 to pressure Mr. Estrada to step down. Victor Briz, an official of the Buklurang Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), told reporters yesterday their union and affiliate organizations are mobilizing more than 1,000 labor unions for the planned general strike.

"The planned mass walkout of workers would serve as a prelude to a crippling nationwide industrial week the following week or until (President) Estrada finally steps down from Malacañang," he said. Meanwhile, militant groups led by the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) demanded yesterday that the President be criminally prosecuted if he resigns.

At a press conference, KMU chairman Crispin Beltran said Mr. Estrada should not be allowed to "negotiate his way out," and that he should be made accountable for all the charges hurled against him. "(President) Estrada should not be allowed to go the way of deposed dictator (Ferdinand) Marcos who escaped effective prosecution by striking deals and settlements," he said.

Beltran issued the statement following reports that Malacañang officials are now negotiating with former President Corazon Aquino and other opposition leaders for President Estrada's graceful exit. Briz said the BMP's urban poor allies and the multisectoral Sanlakas are now soliciting the support of other sectors for a big mass action in Ayala Avenue in Makati.

Simultaneous rallies will also take place in Southern Tagalog, Iloilo, Bacolod City, Cebu, and Iligan City, he added. On the other hand, party-list Rep. Renato Magtubo, who is also secretary general of Sanlakas, urged workers to stand up and let their voices be heard. "Cease all hesitance," he said. "Now is the moment for the powerful voice of the workers to be heard," he said. – Marichu Villanueva, Sandy Araneta, Mayen Jaymalin, Jaime Laude, and Benjie Villa

Monday, December 31, 2012

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Friday, December 21, 2012

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